Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-05
what Southern California Has
Demonstrated.

In recent issue of the Record. Union,
W. H. Mills, Land Agent for the South.
ern Pacific Company. publishes the fol.
lowing interesting communication:
"Since the year 1869, the extension of
railroad lines into the sparsely settled
or wholly uninhabited territories of the
United States has opened to settlement
an area 80 vast as to distribute 'hinly
the great tide of immigration which an.
nually overAows from the more densely
populated portions of this country and
Europe. The railroad extension re-
ferred to, includes not only the four great
overland roads extending westward to the
Pacific ocean from the Mississippi river,
but also great number of branch lines.
Since that period the state of Kansas
has received 1000, 600 of inhabitants,
Texas 1000, 600, Minnesota 700, 900, Da.
kota 500, 600, Nebraska 400, 200, Wyo-
ming 25O, 900, Washington $4,000, Mon.
tans 10000, Arizona $4,000, Colorado
900, 900, and California about zoo, 900.
Among all these the growth of Kansas
has been the most phenomenal. The
reason for this is not far to seek. Kan
sas was more accessible than any of the
Pacific territories, and the lands there
were cheap. In estimating the obsta-
cles to the settlement of distant region
the cost of reaching that region must
occupy q prominent place. 1t has
cost in the past moro money to
remove body of population
aggregating 100, 900 men from the more
densely populated and overfowing sec
tions OF our country to California, than
to remove 1000, 600 from the same sec.
tions to eastern Kansas and Nebraska.
Where vast areas of sparsely settled and
uninhabited territory were inviting the
enterprising pioneers, comparative ad-
vantages have been very closely scanned.
For nearly twenty. five years the intend
ing immigrant has had his choice of an
almost unlimited variety of climatic,
social and commercial conditions Com
paritively, the prices asked for land in
California were higher than the rates de.
manded elsewhere west of the Mississippi
river. To the superficial view, land in
California has reached its maximum in
value. Good agricultural land in north.
western and western states is deemed to
have reached its highest point at val.
ne ef $50 to $50 an acre. Twenty years
ago good agricultural land in California
reached this stage of development.
When, therefore, the immigrants had
their choice between Texas, Kansas.
Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota and
Dakota, where lands we're obtainable at
| from IS to $40 an acre, as against Cali.
fornia, when agricultural land was held
at from SIS to $50 an acre. they chose the
former localities, under the somewhat jus.
tifiable but mistaken belief that the lands
| in California had already reached their
full development. They were basing
their estimate of the possible valuation
of land upon its capacity for producing
grain. wheat, cattle and hogs. They
were oblivious of the fact that climate
Is q controlling factor in the capabilities
| of the soil. When land is purchased at $40
an acre, which through cultivation and
improvement may develop value of $50
an acre, we have an enhancement of 300
per cent. of its original price; but where
the climate admits of q culture which
| makes it possible to take land at $50 an
acre, and, by devoting it to those pro-
ductions permitted by the higher posi-.
bilities of climate, make it worth from
$500 to $500 per acre, we have a result
ant percentage of from 1000 to $500 per
cent. of the purchase price of $50.
almost ct any time within the past
twenty years land adapted to viticulture
could be bought in this State at from
$50 to $50 an acre, where, at the same
time, fully developed bearing vineyard
was salable at from $500 to $500 per
acre. What is true of vine growing is
equally true Of citrus culture, and the
experiments in orange-growing in Los
Angeles and San Bernardino counties
have merely demonstrated these truths.
More than this, they have familiarized
the Eastern mind with the fact that
superiority of climate enlarges the
range of production, and correspond
ingly augments the possibilities of
development in the value of the soil.
The rapid influx of Eastern immigra-
tion into Southern California, and the
ready acceptance on the part of that
immigration of the prices asked for lands
prove conclusively that these great eco.
nomic facts have at last dawned upon
the Eastern mind. Having thus &C.
cepted the conclusion for which the
people of California have rightly con.
tended for nearly quarter of century,
the success which has attended the ef.
forts of Southern California to secure
proper and adequate recognition Of the
value of soils and climate in California
when considered together as factors in
production, will rapidly extend to every
other portion of California. The values
which have attached to the lands
suitable for agriculture and horticul-
ture in Southern California will inevita
bly extend to all the land in the State of
equal fertility, and lying under equally
favorable conditions for the higher and
more profitable cultivation made pos.
sible by the superiority Of climate.
Again, it has been demonstrated that
California throughout is the most genial,
healthful and attractive winter resort in
the known world. 1t will, therefore,
rapidly supersede Florida, Cuba, Italy
and other places which have served as
refugees from the rigor and in
hospitalities of northern climates
Southern California, therefore, has de.
monstrated q superiority in soils and
climates, and the productive capacities